From Shipping Container to Year-round Greenhouse

Entreprenuer Daniel Kuenzi has started transforming empty shipping containers into compact, water efficient farms. Using hydroponic farming techniques and energy efficient lighting, Kuenzi and his startup Local Roots Farms are currently growing lettuce in the 40-foot steel containers in LA, and aim to stock a handful of southern California grocery stores this year.

In the midst of the record-setting drought in California, a place that provides nearly a third of the nation’s produce, a low-water system capable of growing food year-round may be an attractive solution to many family farms. Kuenzi says “Each farm uses next-generation indoor agriculture techniques to grow the equivalent yield of five acres of conventional outdoor farming each year. The process uses 80 percent less water with no harmful run-off and prevents exposure to pests and diseases.” Arid environments like the High and Mojave Deserts could especially benefit from this kind of real water conservation.